office



R. F. PADEN Oct. 7 1924.

GASKET Filed March 30 Patented Oct. 7, 1,924.

UNITEy S'l" res ROERT F. PADEN, OKGLENDALE, MISSOURI, ASIGNOR T0 ST. LOUIS COFJEIJ"r COM\ ,PANEL 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION DI? MISSOUR.

GASKET.

' l5 remove the/inner cover after the same' has been sealed, which is atedious operation because it involves the loosening of a. considerable numberlof screws and more espe-y cially of the cloth tufting covering the screws. Tofeliminate to a large extent this trouble incident to reopening and replacing the sealed inner cover is the primary purpose of my invention, and to this end I v provide a removable panel for the inner cover. Other objects and advantages will be apparent as thedescription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of referencey denote likey parts where.-

ever they occur, j n W `Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coffin embodying the present invention with a portion of the outer coverbroken away, thereby disclosing a portion of the innerjcover and associated parts; 'I j Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line l2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 isr an enlarged fragmentary perspective View showing details of construction with asection taken on the line 3--3 of Figure1. j

The body-part 1 of a coffin embodying my invention is provided with an outercover 2 and a hermetically sealed innercover 3 hav-.

ing a flange 4 for engagement kwith fastening devices lofany of the usual types for fastening said inner cover 3 to said bodypart 1. i y y ,p

`Theinner cover 3 is formed preferably of in its top 7, which has reinforcing flanges 9,

which depend perpendicularly from lthe top; 7 to the bottom edge 8 and form a wall eX- against glass plate 13.

sheet steeland has a rectangularopening 6v Application filed March 30, 1923. SerialfNo. 628,807.

Secured to the upper side of the top 7, preferably by soldering, and, surrounding the opening 6 at a slight distance therefrom, is a member 10, preferably a flat steel bar, the principal purpose of said member 10 being to provide thickness of material for a plurality ofv screw-threaded holes adapted to receive the screws 11 as hereinafter more particularly described. The opening 6 is preferably limited in eirtent to that portion of the cover 3 directly over the head and bosom of the corpse, but -may, ofcourse, be extended throughout the length, of the cover 3. .Y

A removable panel 12 is adapted to close the opening 6 inthe cover 3 andis formed of a plate'13, preferably glass,held in a frame y14 having a flange 15 supported upon a gasket 16, which gasket 16 rests upon that portion ofthe upper surface of the top 7 which is surrounded by the member v10. Gasket 16 is adapted to form an air-tight joint between said flange 15 and said top 7,

and may be made of any material, preferably asbestos, suitable for making said joint airtight,

Flange 15 is strengthened by a member 17, preferably a flat steel bar and ispreferably constructed, as best seen in Figure 3, by looping a portion y18 of the material of frame 14 about said member 17 intimately following the outline of said member 17, and the end 19 of said loop 18 may be soldered toadjacent portions 2O of said frame 14. The structure of said frame-14 rises at 20 from flange 15 to a point slightly.T

higher than the upper side ofglass `panel 13 and then extendshorizontally andl inwardly short distance at 21 and then terminates in` a depending` flange -22 adapted to abut p ,A member 23 is soldered tothe inside vof the rising 'portion 2O ofiframe 14, and is preferably madev of soft lead and adapted to form a hanger or brackety for supportingl said plate ofglass 13, said member 23 having preferably anv L-shaped cross section when same is in place as best seen jin 'Figure 3. lln order to form ran air-tight joint between said glass panel 13 andl dependingflange 22, the spacebe-l tween said flange 22 and said member 23 is lled v.to thefull depth kof said flange with cement 24 or other binding means ,of any composition suitable for making an air-,tight joint, the frame 14, for convenience of working, preferably having been inverted and the glass supporting flange 25 of soft lead member 23 having been bent straight or substantially parallel to the rising portion 2() of frame 14C, and said glass 13 is placed upon the edge of saiddepending flange 22 with the portion of said glass panel 13 adjacent to its edges extending over said cement and with the edge of said plate of glass 13 abutting the side of member 23 adjacent there-A to, the end portion of said member 23 er tending beyond the inner surface of said plate of glass 13 being bent in the form of a flange 25 over upon the portion of said plate of glass 13 adjacent to the edge of same. When cement 24 has set, the desired air-tight joint will have formed said cement binding parts adjacent thereto in a sealed joint, the flange 25 on member 23 bent over upon the inner surface adjacent the edge of said plate of glass 13 being adapted to assist in supporting said plate of glass 13 in place.

Hinges 26` secured, preferably by soldering, to flange 15 of frame 14 are adapted to swing on pins 27 secured, also, preferably by soldering, to member 1() of body-part 1. A; convenient means of supporting the frame 14- when withdrawing the same to expose the opening 6 in cover 3 is thus provided.

Frame 14 may be provided with a supporting bar 28 ('Figure 2) having one end in swiveled attachment at 29 with said frame 14 and having a plurality ot notches 30 at its free end adapted to engage a. pin 31 borne by the flange 9 when frame 14 has been swung to open position, shown in Figure 6, thus holding said frame in open position. To close frame 14 the particular notch 30 in engagement with pin 31 at the time is' lifted out of engagement with pin 31, whereupon bar 28 swinging on its swiv* eled end will slide along pin 31 as frame 141 is dropped to closed position, The plurality of notches allow of supporting the frame in different positions.

The screws 11 for clamping the frame 14.- to the cover 3 pass through lugs 32 and rubber washers 33 interposed between mem* ber 10fand said lugs 32. The lu`gs`32 project over flange 15, and bear upon said flange 15 when the screws 11 are tightened in sealing the casketr and thereby press the asbestos gasket 16 between the flange 15 of frame 14; and the top 7 of cover 3, thus securing an air-tight and moisture-proof joint, the gasket 16 having had previously applied thereto andA into its groove 34 a fluid adhesive cement 35.

Hav-ing' thus described this invention, l hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, a's it' is evident that many minor changes may' be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or'the scope of' the following claims.

hingedly mounted on said inner cover for opening and closing the said opening, said panel including a glass plate and means for maintaining` the cover, when closed, airtight with respect to the opening.

2. A casket of the hermetically sealed type having a hermetically-sealed inner cover provided with an opening, a frame member secured to the top of the inner cover and heing ofl larger diameter than the opening so as to surroundfthe latter at a slight distance therefrom, a gasket surrounding the opening and confined within the said frame member, a removable transparent panel adapted to close the said opening, and fastening members carried by the said frame for engaging the said panel and pressing the latter upon the gasket.

3. A casket of the hermetically sealed type having a hermetically-sealed inner cover provided with an opening, a flat frame secured to the said cover and surrounding the opening at a slight distance from the edge therefrom, a gasket seated in the space between the edge of the opening and the said surrounding frame, a panel disposed over the said opening to close the same and having a supporting flange adapted to rest upon the said gasket, said panel being hingedly connected with the said frame and clamping means carried by the said frame for engagement over the said flange of the panel whereby the latter is pressed upon the gasket to secure an air-tight and moistureproof joint.

4l. A. casket of the hermetically sealed type having a hermetically-sealed inner cover provided with an opening, a flat frame secured to the said cover and surrounding the said opening in slightly spaced relation to the edge thereof, a gasket occupying the space between the edge of the' opening and the said surrounding frame, a glass panel disposed over the opening to cover the same and having a supporting flange adapted to rest upon the said gasket, said flange being confined between opposite elements of the said frame and being hingedly connected to the latter along one side ofthe panel, a plu rality of screws mounted in said frame coeX'te-nsive with the sides of the said` panel, and a plurality of clamping lugs each of which has one of its ends provided with an opening for one of the screws and its other end extending over the flange of the said panel for clamping the latter upon tighten-- ing the screw.

In testimony' whereofv I hereunto atlix my signature.

ROBERT F. .PA'DEN 

